Tuesday was Super Tuesday and, like all registered unaffiliated voters, I was not allowed to participate.
To vote in a caucus, a person must be registered Republican or Democrat, and they then vote for the person who they would like to see as the final candidate for their party in the upcoming presidential election.
Some states hold primary elections which, depending on the type of election, can be open to unaffiliated voters. However, in Colorado we hold a closed caucus.
So what happens to a voter like myself who chose to not pick a side? We have to wait and are not allowed to officially voice our opinions on, a ballot, for who gets chosen.
According to the Pew Research Center, as of 2014, 39 percent of registered voters are unaffiliated, 32 percent are registered Democrat, and 23 percent are Republican.
How accurate are the caucuses if they aren’t open to all voters?
The largest group of registered voters can’t even vote on who we want to see on the final ballot for the presidency.
How accurate are caucuses if they aren’t open to all voters?
I chose to not pick a side because at the time I registered to vote, I did not know much about what it meant to be a Democrat or what it meant to be a Republican. With each election I wanted to see what each candidate had to offer. I also am finished with having to chose a side and have that define how I have to view politics. There are too many flaws with having a two-party system.
Registering as unaffiliated has become the most common party among 18-34 year olds according to the Pew Research Center: 49 percent of millennials are unaffiliated, 28 percent are Democrat, and 18 percent are Republican.
Being in the middle allows for a more objective point of view when it comes to elections. I don’t feel pressured by my party to make certain political decisions. I can make them on my own after I’ve done my own research.
—Morgan Mackey
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